SKY CIRCLE construction begins, warnings on height restrictions

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Work began last weekend on an exciting and groundbreaking urban mobility project in Cape Town.

Hailed as a milestone in South African civil engineering, Cape Town’s new Sky Circle is set to ease traffic build up at the busy intersection of Govan Mbeki Road (M9) and Jan Smuts Drive (M17) in Lansdowne.

A new approach to reducing congestion

The Sky Circle will rise 6.2 metres above ground, exclusively serving MyCiTi buses travelling between Nyanga, Strandfontein, Wynberg, and Athlone.

Essentially the expansion project aims to better connect Mitchells Plain, Khayelitsha and various other communities across the metro-southeast with Wynberg and Claremont.

By separating the bus route from regular traffic, the City’s goal is to also reduce congestion, improve travel times, and enhance public transport efficiency, writes BizCommunity.

Cape Town’s traffic woes are getting progressively worse. Recently the Mother City was voted the ninth most congested city in the world.

Beyond the elevated structure, the Sky Circle project includes reconfiguring the existing intersection.

This includes adding dedicated turning lanes, upgrading traffic signals, and incorporating pedestrian and cyclist-friendly lanes.

These improvements are expected to create a safer, smoother traffic flow for all road users.

The Sky Circle will go up at the intersection of Govan Mbeki Road and Jan Smuts Drive. Image: CoCT

A bold leap in urban mobility

“We are so proud to see this happening right here, in Cape Town,” said the City’s Mayco Member for Urban Mobility, Rob Quintas.

“The metro-south east MyCiTi expansion is the biggest financial investment in public transport by any metro to date.”

“The Sky Circle will be constructed on the traffic circle, meaning, every time road users and residents go around the traffic circle they will witness the progress of this engineering achievement.”

Height restrictions

During the construction phase (expected to last about 18 months) the City has cautioned truck drivers of height restrictions.

A temporary steel bridge has also been installed over the northbound carriageway of Jan Smuts Drive. This is to provide a safe crossing for construction workers.

A height restriction of 4.3 metres will be in place for vehicles while the construction of the Sky Circle is ongoing.